A Man Died After His Head Got Trapped in Movie Theater Seat

The Guardianreports on a terrible, tragic story: A customer at Birmingham’s Vue Cinema died after his head “became wedged under the electronic footrest of a cinema seat.” At a certain point during the incident, the man went into cardiac arrest. He did not recover.

More details from The Guardian:

An investigation into the accident at the Vue cinema in Birmingham’s Star City leisure complex on 9 March is continuing. Sources quoted in the Birmingham Mail described how the ‘freak’ accident happened after the man bent down to retrieve a phone, dropped between Gold Class seats, at the end of a movie. The victim, who was with his partner, was only freed after the footrest was broken by those trying to help.

Americans don’t have Vue Cinemas or “Gold Class” theaters, but an image search reveals their seats look like the sort of plush recliners that are popping up in high-end multiplexes around the country. I’ve never been a huge fan of this kind of chairs, mostly because they can get squeaky and make a lot of noise if they’re not maintained, and fully reclined they often give you a better view of the ceiling than the screen. But I never thought they were dangerous. That’s absolutely nuts.

Vue International released a statement following the incident confirming the incident and promising “a full investigation into the nature of the incident.” In the meantime, be careful out there cinephiles.